The Clash at the Coliseum is this Saturday, rather than the originally scheduled Sunday, in a surprise to most involved. But don’t worry, the drivers will still be making their normally programmed left turns.
Although the change that moved the race up by more than 24 hours came as a surprise, it hasn’t perturbed drivers.
“I’m already here to race,” Ty Gibbs (No. 54) said. “It doesn’t change anything… just hammer down.”
Justin Haley (No. 51) echoed his sentiment, saying it just meant he’d fly home a day earlier.
Despite the words from the drivers, this race will certainly look different than in years past.
How will the action change?
With significantly less preparation time on track, the possibility of chaos increases even further. In the past, drivers have certainly been willing to drive through each other. With the drivers less familiar with the track, mistakes could easily result in even more carnage.
The lack of running has an additional consequence: less rubber on the track. With a far greener track, drivers will have less grip and find it far easier to make mistakes.
This week’s weather will play another role there as well. It took longer for the track in the Coliseum to dry off than most other tracks, so even a light drizzle could create difficulties.
“This is slick and the oils are still coming out of the asphalt, it’s brand new. The wet spots that were on the race track were super, super slick, like ice,” Joey Logano (No. 22), the inaugural winner of the Clash at the Coliseum, said. “That’s all kind of new territory for us that we don’t really know about yet, but I think we’re going to have to try and see what happens.”
There’s also the possibility of the opposite happening. Many other series have had recent banal races that were expected to be filled with chaos. With so much up in the air, drivers could take a more cautious approach and have an orderly contest.
Different Fords
This is the first look we’ve had at the new Ford car, whose body work was updated over the offseason as the initial design, which was supposed to resemble cars sold to the public, was at an aerodynamic disadvantage to the Chevrolets and Toyotas. With strong drivers, including the winner of the inaugural Clash at the Coliseum, among its lineup, Ford could have an even better shot than in years past.
Qualifying results:
First row: Denny Hamlin (No. 11), Joey Logano (No. 22)
Second row: Ty Gibbs (No. 54), Alex Bowman (No. 48)
Third row: Kyle Busch (No. 8), William Byron (No. 24)
Fourth row: Ross Chastain (No. 1), Kyle Larson (No. 5)
Fifth row: Bubba Wallace (No. 23), Justin Haley (No. 51)
Sixth row: Tyler Reddick (No. 45), Ryan Preece (No. 41)
Seventh row: Brad Keselowski (No. 6), Chase Elliott (No. 9)
Eighth row: Michael McDowell (No. 34), Todd Gilliland (No. 38)
Ninth row: Noah Gragson (No. 10), Corey LaJoie (No. 7)
Tenth row: Martin Truex Jr. (No. 19), Ricky Stenhouse Jr. (No. 47)
Eleventh row: John Hunter Nemechek (No. 42), Chase Briscoe (No. 14)
Reigning champion Ryan Blaney (No. 12) will start the race in last as the highest-scoring non-qualifier from last season.
The elimination of heat races led to some shock exclusions.
Daniel Suarez (No. 99) didn’t make the Cup Series race, meaning he will now only compete in the King Taco LA Batalla en El Coliseo.
Chris Buescher (No. 17) had a fantastic second half of last year, but couldn’t parlay that into qualifying for the Clash.
Christopher Bell (No. 20) has made the Final 4 of the playoffs in consecutive years and has extensive short track experience, but couldn’t put a lap together and qualified fourth-last.
Prediction:
Without heat races, this section is far more bare than in years past. That said, I’m picking Alex Bowman to win this year. The Hendrick Motorsports driver looked strong for much of last year and is known for winning in unusual manners. It’s hard to get more unusual than this, so it could be his time to shine.
The Clash at the Coliseum may be unlike any other race on the NASCAR schedule and it may not award points, but don’t let that fool you: both winners have gone on to win a championship that season, with Logano clinching the 2022 Series Championship and Truex Jr. taking the 2023 Regular Season Championship. This race, against all odds, is a yardstick for success.